BİTLİS
  GENERAL INFO
Province of Bitlis was located at the Eastern Anatolia Region and is surrounded by Siirt from south, by Muş from west, by Ağrı from north and by Van Lake from east. It is an important city with its castles and Turkish Islam creations. The climate of the Bitlis Province displays terrestrial characteristics but is actually has a transition climate with the severe and terrestrial climate of the east and the Mediterranean climate. Winter seasons in the province are cold, summers are hot and dry.
Ahlat : Ahlat Province is founded at the shores of Van Lake and is at 60 km. distance to the city center. There are 14 vaults, 2 castles most

of which are the remains of the13th century, 5 historic graveyards from the Seljukian period, 1 historic graveyard from the Ottoman Period, 4 separate graveyards to the north of the Yuvadamı village remained from the period between BC 2000 and BC 1200 years, 2 mosques and 1 bath from the Ottoman Period. The Emirlik Bayındır Bridge (Emirate Development Bridge) in the district should be visited. The major historic presence of the district is the historic "Seljukian Graveyard" which was founded over nearly 200 acre area. Beside thecoffer tombs with or without tombstones in the graveyard each displaying the property of monumental structure, theunderground graveyards in the style of chamber tombs which is the burial style of the Central Asian Turkish culture is encountered in this graveyard. The Vaults, whicharelocated among other important historic structures are the monumental tombs of the governors and the rulers of the period, which had developed with the effect of Islamic culture and are composed of small mosques constructed over the underground tomb chamber. Ahlat also has the most beautiful beach at the perimeter of the Van Lake. The district displays the improvement capacity at the fields of shore tourism and water sports and it is possible to swim for 4 months at the beaches of the district. Also the Sütay Plateau located at the north of the district has a potential for the improvement of the plateau tourism. The hand crafted "Ahlat Bastonu" (Ahlat Walking Stick is famous through the entire country.